Jonathan Kozol: Amazing Grace

 Extended Comments:

I am making extended comments based on Anna's blog post about quotes. The quotes she chose captured much about the reading and what it was. The first quote she used was one that really stood out to me. It is sad to read about what these children are going through each day. It is not something they should be going through like playing while your mother waits for needles; which is scary for the children. Being put in circumstances like that can change the development and life of the child because it can throw them into the same pattern when they are older because they see it happening and can think that is normal. Now the second quote about the hospital is just as heart breaking. These people need to get the help they need! If they would get that care and support, there could be a way to turn some part of their life around. I like how Anna mentioned Covid-19 and how she is right it did show us how scarcely things have changed in these low income/poor areas. Anna'ss third quote ties into the first she used but has even more power to it. There is so much drug use all around and it affects the area making it worse and worse as the days go on. It is sad to her about the personal experience. Lastly, the last quote which for me connects to the power of culture. It shows that there are many people in the lower class that never get to get past that, they might not know the rules to help to pull themselves out. It is sad because we want people to be equal but there are so many areas in the world that are so different. I love how Anna said"“We, as educators, can help people see beyond the confines of their social status. We can show our students that there is a world out there that they can change"” We can teach these children the rules and give them what we can to help change for the better. 

Questions/ Comments/ Points to share:

The author tells us about how hard of a time these children have who are living in New York City. The culture and environment they are surrounded by are the reason for this. It really made me think about my own life growing up and all the privileges I had. I grew up in a small town with low crime, and everybody knew everybody. So, there was no cause for concern when my parents let me walk around town with friends or even go out to play at parks. I grew up right outside New York City, and although I was so close, I never went it too much. Thinking about it, I would only go to tourist areas, concerts, or even where my grandfather and grandmother grew up in the Bronx. Looking back, comparing all the places, there are differences, and it's unfortunate to see. 

Hyperlink: https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/10/25/22744661/nycha-child-care-unsafe-conditions-nyc